The Indianapolis journal., 1887-12-18
MINOR MENTION,


seen, and many others have heard, Of the i'm
mense establishment there called Bon Marche,
by all odds the extensive retail store in the
world. It is bewildering in it's extent aud the
infinite variety of its stock. The Bon Marche is
one of the features of Paris It is run by ad
ministration amounting almost TO a congress;
300 proprietors, so to speak, rule $500 clerks
and employees of all kinds Over these
general manager, a vice-manager, and jury Of
thirteen directors. elected by vote among the
oldest members of the association. The female
chief OF the establishment, Nine Boucicaut. died
few days ago. She started as a clerk and had
been in business all her adu dult life. about thirty
years. She had been married. but for many
years before her death a widow. She
cumulated an immense fortune, rated at $l5,-
900, 900. During her life she noted for her
charities. and st her death she bequeathed 3d.
000, 600 in legaeies and pensions to the employees
of the Bon Marehe. She also left 5000, 900 to the
association for young workingmen. a like sum
to the home for convaleseent employees of Bon
Marche. and many other munifcent bequests
The employees of the establishment attended in
a body her funeral, which was one of the largest
ever seen in Paris
Rev. j. c. HARTzELL, secretary of the Freed
mems Aid Society of the NJ. E. Church. delivered
en- address before the anniversary meeting of
that society. just held in Chicago, in which he
said:
another question-and this relates especially
to the South-is tho patriotic question OF sup
planting sectionaiiSm distinguished from SEN
timents of nationality. freed from the theories
which made the Southern Con federacy possible
and which will make future national unity
tain. make comparative statements be-
tween men and parties States sections.
But what want to say is that this question is
AnS~ %lAIs~ HhoS Cant and that
of the teachers who may have been in
schools and every of the 100 900 students
they have taught have been the side
of nationality. One Southern orator suggests
that now symbolic complete unity for the
Nation the future flag of the Republic should be
the stars and stripes, with the stars and bars
laid across their face thus blending the two.
You may rest assured that orator was not one of
our students. In the matter of Christian pat
riotism our schools teach flag and that the
old flag. AS for all other flags let them remain
in the archives where God, in His providence
has put them
THE National Opera Company is rapidly going
to peices if dsintagration is not already COM
plete and fragments of the concern are scattered
around between the Alleghenies and the Rockies.
First the prima donna dropped ont, then the
leading tenor, then the second soprano, and at
last accounts not much was left of the ballet.
OF course with the ballet remaining the COM
pauy still has one leg to stand on; but with the
salaries of these artists unpaid. even they can
not be expected to go on mnch longer. Several
morals might be drawn from the fate of this
enterprise, but the most obvious one is that
enthusiasm for music on the part of the mana
gers is no substitute for business 1t not
only takes money to make the mare go, If SO
vulgar q saying may be used in this aesthetic
connection, but it takes money, and great
deal of il, to make heavy opera 60. and without
| a liberal reserve fund to fall back e company
| of 2IS persons. though starting out with flying
colors, is reasonably certain to walk On the
return trip.
THE-grave and dignifed Senators have their
fun The other day when Senator Stewart, of
Nevada took up his bill providing for the issue
of coin certificates to circulate money, and be-
gan a long speech detailing the history of silver.
one by one nsarly every Senator crept out of
his chair and escaped to the cloak-room or to
committes-rooms. In Eve minutes not more
than half dozen Senators were in their seats.
Senator Stewart went on for nearly an hour ad-
dressing the empty desks and a temporary presi-
dent, as Senator ingalls, had also left the chair.
When he had finished the Senators rushed in
from cloak-rooms, corridors and committee
rooms and warmly grasped his hand. congratu-
Iating him his forcible argument. Senator
Stewart smiled and thanked them all, as he
wiped his brow land had the satisfaction of
knowing that it would all be printed in the Con-
gressional Record. But there he cannot
compel anybody to read it
| BILL has been introduced in Congress, "by
request" entitled "a bill to authorize the adop-
| ton of a new educational system" to be known
| as ''the Wherewithal System" The author of
| the BILL in an accompanying memorial. says his
| system 'is sought to be introduced by national
| adoption into the woof and web of our national
life political, social and intellectual. thereby in
| ducing State. municipal and general adoption
| into school life by blackboard exercise and by
| book form into study life" He also assures
Congress that to the best of his knowledge and
belief tho bill, if adopted. will ''prove the very
| headlight on the engine of public and private
progress that is to inmate the track of their
| constituencies advancement and their countrys
| glory" This is all very fne but what has it TO
| do with the wherewithall
| THE forces of nature make very good serv
/ ants as long as they kept under control and
IN their places but occasionally they break loose
and become dangerous The common agents.
as air, fire. steam. etc, furnish frequent exam
/ pies Of tnis, and to these now must be added
i natural gas and electricity. These forces are
comparatively little understood yet, but
| enough is known to demand constant watchful-
| ness and caution in dealing with them. Both
possess dangerous elements. Natural gas has
! caused at least hundred deaths since IL came
into use, and electricity probably several hun
dred One might think the forces Of nature
| sre lying in walt to resent and revenge the at
tempt TO control and utilize them Within a
few days several fatal accidents, due indirectly
to the contact Of electric-light wires with tele-